Drift
by sonamyfanfiction
Summary: After a life altering change for the gang, things start to twist and turn in ways they weren't ready for. Especially for a certain fuchsia hedgehog who is struggling to come to terms with this new way of life and how all hope seems lost in changing it.
1. Part 1a

_BREAKING NEWS  
_ _Doctor Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik dies, age unknown.  
_ _The doctor's body was found amongst the ruins of his base after explosions were reported late Tuesday night in the forest 70 miles east of the city. Investigators conclude the explosion was caused by a combination of flammable gases and an electrical fire._

She read the few short sentences over and over again in her head, still trying to make sense of it all. She didn't even know what she was still doing with the newspaper, it had been published months ago. Even still, she hadn't completely wrapped her head around it. She sat on the edge of the lounge, leaning over the article splayed out on her coffee table, just staring at the words. The fuchsia hedgehog's eyes burned before she finally tore away her gaze and sat back, rubbing her face with her gloved hands.

She eventually got to her feet and walked over to a set of drawers, taking the paper with her and dumping it in the bottom of a drawer. She silently wandered into the kitchen and turned on her kettle, leaning against the bench as she watched it begin the boil. Something caught her eye out of the kitchen window, causing her breath to hitch. She looked around, hoping against hope it was… no, it couldn't be. It wasn't yesterday, or the day before… or the day before. It was just a breeze picking up some leaves and drifting them past her.

She mentally scolded herself through a sigh before turning back to the kettle, watching the steam release as it finished boiling. She poured herself a tea and began to slowly sip at it, not moving away from the kitchen bench. She looked down at herself and brushed away invisible dirt from her day's attire. She had recently started mixing up her wardrobe, casual but very beautiful. Today, she wore red flat shoes, black high waisted ankle-biter jeans with a white button up top that she tied up at the front, showing and little mid-rift and rolled up sleeves. Her quills hung loosely above her shoulders, having ditched her red head-band these days.

She was snapped out of her hazy trance when she looked up at the time, almost burning her mouth on her tea. She poured it down the sink before grabbing her bag and running out the door. She ran the whole way down the dirt path until she finally reached the train station, jumping on as the doors were closing. She caught her breath as she found an empty seat and made herself comfortable. She watched the scenery of trees and small bushland pass her by before everything went dark as the train went through a tunnel. On the other side, all she could see were buildings and skyscrapers for miles, having arrived in the city.

She got off at her stop and made her way to a university, one of the most prestigious within the entire city. She made her way into a class room and snuck into an empty seat, trying to tune into the beginning of her lecture. It appeared she hadn't missed much, merely a review of what they had gone over in the last lesson. She hadn't been studying long, but she had always had such an interest in archaeology, and she figured that now was as good a time as any since… well, since things had changed.

.

Hours passed and she was finally finished her classes for the day. She trudged out of the university and slowly made her way through the city and towards the station. She ran her nails through her quills as she thought about the newspaper article she'd been reading this morning – as she often did. The past few months seemed like a lifetime ago. As she absent-mindedly got on the train and took a seat, letting the outside world flash before her eyes as she sped away from the city, she thought about the gang. They didn't hang out the way they used to anymore… in fact, it had been a few weeks since she had seen any of them at all.

When she stepped off the train and made her way off the platform, she wondered if maybe she should drop in to see someone. She started walking down the dirt path home, her stomach in knots knowing that she could potentially call in and see Tikal, who lived the closest, but suddenly she was nervous. Why? She swallowed her nerves and picked up the pace towards the peach coloured echidna's home before she changed her mind. Her breath became unsteady the closer she got, her palms sweaty as she arrived at the front door and knocked three times.

'Amy! What a nice surprise.' Tikal beamed when she opened the door.

'Hey! Sorry to just drop in, but I was on my way home and I thought-'

'No, no, I'm glad you did.' Tikal cut her off, 'Come on in, I'm making tea'

Amy smiled a little and followed behind her towards her living room. She took a seat as Tikal went into her kitchen and came back out with tea, taking a seat next to her. They smiled at each other, happy to be in each other's presence, but there was a strange silence. It was like making a conversation was suddenly difficult or strained. But for absolutely no reason.

'So, how-'

'What have-' They both began at once, cutting each other off awkwardly.

'It's been a while.' Amy began again simply.

'Too long.' Tikal agreed, almost sadly.

'What have you been up to?'

'Not a lot these days, to be honest. I've been doing a little teaching – I came across a few kids that were seemingly discovering they had powers like mine but they didn't know how to control them so I've been guiding them, I suppose.' Tikal explained as she stirred her tea.

'That's amazing. It must be so rewarding.' Amy smiled as she stirred her own tea.

'It really is, I'm enjoying it…' Tikal trailed off, lost in thought for a moment. 'But, how about you?'

'Me? Oh, uh… I'm studying. Archaeology. I'm really enjoying it.' The fuchsia hedgehog stammered out.

'Really? I'm so happy for you, I know you've always wanted to do that.'

Amy thanked her and they both smiled at each other before taking a sip of their tea. It was awkward. Painfully awkward. But for no apparent reason other than their friendship dynamic had changed so much in just a matter of months. They were hurting, watching their conversation crumble before them when it used to be just so easy. They both finished their tea and just stared down into their cups, fiddling with the handles.

'Do you hear from the others much?' Tikal asked with her gaze still in the cup, much to Amy's surprise.

'Not really. Not since… well, you know.'

'Eggman?'

'Yeah.' Amy nodded, silence filling the room again.

'I hear Rouge and Shadow are forever at work, G.U.N taking up every second of their time. I see Knuckles whenever I go to the Master Emerald. Silver and Blaze went back to their world… I guess, there is just less keeping them here now.' Tikal shrugged to which Amy nodded a little, 'What about you?'

'Do I hear from anyone? Cream sometimes. I see her and her mother every now and then. Tails spends every waking minute inventing – I heard he's been hired for some huge tech company to invent new gadgets.'

'And Sonic?'

Amy jerked her head up to look at the peach coloured echidna at just the mention of his name. It was like the sound of his name filling the room made him here somewhat. Like those gusts of wind that picked up the leaves or the rustles in the trees… all could have been him. But they weren't, and she knew that. She didn't know where he was, but she knew he wasn't here.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't-'

'No, it's ok.' Amy cut her off, 'Uh, last time I spoke to Tails he said Sonic just travels and travels. Never stops.'

'When was the last time you saw him?'

'I guess… the last time we were all together. The day after Eggman died.' Amy shrugged, Tikal nodding and let silence fill the room again.

They both bowed their heads and stared into their laps, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Amy lifted her gaze a little and noticed a picture frame on the window sill, causing her to stand up and walk over to it. She smiled when she got close, her back to her friend. She picked it up and brought it closer, turning around to lean against the sill as she examined the picture.

It was the whole gang, dressed up and celebrating. Everyone was laughing and either looking at the camera or at each other. The bubble-gum hedgehog stared at herself in the photo, she was looking at the camera. Sonic's arms were wrapped around her from behind, squeezing her. She could almost feel it again. He was looking at her, laughing. They all looked so happy.

'Your 22nd birthday, I think that was.' Tikal commented, watching Amy look at the photo.

'That was only 7 or 8 months ago.' Amy breathed out in disbelief.

'Amy?' Tikal said after a few seconds silence, causing Amy to look up, 'do you think we're all drifting? Like the only thing that kept us together was protecting people? But now that the biggest threat is gone…'

'I think…' Amy trailed off, wondering what to say. 'I think we all just to make more of an effort for each other.'

They smiled a little at each other, both seeming satisfied with that response.


	2. Part 1b

A pink bundle of fur rolled around in her sheets to reach over and switch off her alarm, groaning at the light shining through her window. As she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she realised – it's her birthday today. In that moment, she felt a pang of excitement quickly squished by sadness. For a split second her brain got excited to spend the day with the gang – but she hadn't heard from anyone in the gang since… since Silver and Blaze came back to visit.

That wasn't long after she and Tikal had tea and claimed that more effort would be made to keep their friendships strong. The futuristic duo came back for such a short time and wanted to see everyone. But Rouge and Shadow were so buried in their work that they'd forgotten and Sonic… was still travelling. When what was left of the group met up, it was nice, but it wasn't the same. Things had seemed so weird between them all. What was worse, was there was still no explanation. Not other than the fact that their lives were taking different paths, which seemed scary.

It felt like she had been pushed to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the stomach over and over again. She wanted to cry, and on her own birthday. She forced herself to her feet and made her way to the bathroom, splashing water over her face to help wake her up. She wondered if any of the others felt this awful absence in their lives. She wondered this often. All she wanted to do was run to Tikal's house and fire up the kettle, take Cream out for a picnic, or even duke it out with Shadow for some fun. Then she would wonder what was stopping her. She never had an answer.

She stripped down and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water soothe her as she cleaned herself. Her legs slowly crumpled and took her to the ground, curled up underneath the stream of water. She thought of Sonic. His royal blue fur and the way it left a streak behind him in the wind as he sped around, the scent of the trees and coconuts that she would have given anything to breathe in again. His emerald green eyes that sparkled when he smiled. That perfect smile. She wondered when she'd see him again.

Every day for months, she wondered this.

There were periods of time where she gave up on the wondering, but they never lasted long. She had tried to contact him a few times, but he was completely unreachable. She doubt even Tails of all people had heard from him very much – and that was saying something. She hated feeling this way, and she hated that there was nothing left to do about it.

She got out of the shower and got ready for the day as normal, headed into the city for class. Deciding to attempt to lift her own spirits, she turned on her stereo and got to making herself a big breakfast. As she was cooking, her phone vibrated next to her with a message appearing on screen. Her eyes flicked over to her phone and back to the pan before doing a double take and lifting the phone closer to her face.

 _Happy Birthday, Hun._  
 _Have a great day. X_

It was from Rouge. She remembered. It both gave Amy butterflies and a knife through the heart. She sighed and read the message three more times, smiling but not knowing how to reply. She put the phone back down and let it be while she had breakfast, her music still playing. She served herself a plate of food and sat down at the table, reminding herself it would still be a good day, with some friends from class taking her out to celebrate afterwards. This made her smile a little – until the music changed.

 _They pass me by  
_ _All of those great romances  
_ _It's as if you're robbing me  
_ _Of my rightful chances…_

That familiar pang hit her stomach as she looked up at the stereo. She wanted to get up and change the music, but her legs wouldn't allow it.

 _One of us is crying  
_ _One of us is lying in her lonely bed  
_ _Staring at the ceiling  
_ _Wishing she was somewhere else instead  
_ _One of us is lonely  
_ _One of us is only waiting for a call  
_ _Sorry for himself  
_ _Feeling stupid, feeling small  
_ _Wishing he had never left at all_

She suddenly sprang out of her seat and stormed over to the stereo, switching it off with force. Silence filled her ears and she let out a long breath she didn't know she was holding. Her quills fell in front of her face as she closed her eyes, willing herself to keep it together. She turned her head to look at the clock and decided to leave, getting rid of her plate and walking out the door, throwing her bag over her shoulder as she went.

As she locked her door, her phone vibrated again. She pulled it out of her pocket as she began to stroll down the same dirt path she took every day. As she looked at the screen, she felt the same emotional turmoil she did only minutes before when she saw Rouge's name appear on her screen. Except this time, it was Tails.

 _Happy Birthday, Amy!_  
 _I know it's been a while but if you have time, I'd like to take you out to celebrate._  
 _Have a great day. Let me know._

She wasn't really that far from the kitsune's house, and she had a bit of extra time this morning. She could have stopped in to see him. Something stopped her though, but this time she figured the thing pulling her back was the house. It only reminded her of Sonic. Him napping on the grass out the front of the garage while the rest of the gang hung around, watching Tails tinker away, chatting, laughing. She could almost see it when she looked in the direction of his home. Instead, she put her phone back in her pocket and continued walking towards the station.

She felt more and more numb as the day went on. She sat in classes for a big part of the day, lost in the blank spaces of her mind. Between the lectures, she sat outside in the warm rays of the sun with a few friends from her classes, all talking amongst each other about celebrating the bubble-gum hedgehog's birthday at a nearby bar that night – she tuned them out all too easily.

The only thing that snapped her back to reality was the vibrating of her phone. Throughout the day, she received messages from almost everyone in the gang – even Blaze and Silver managed to communicate. She would read and re-read them to make sure they were even there, experiencing the same sensation of butterflies and stab wounds every time. She would eventually stare blankly at the screen until something brought her out of it.

 _Happy Birthday, Rose._  
 _Take care._  
 _\- Shadow_

 _Happy 23rd Birthday, Amy!_  
 _I hope you're having the best day, thinking of you lots._  
 _I would really love to see you. Talk soon._  
 _Love, Cream x_

 _Happy Birthday, kid._  
 _Drop by sometime._  
 _\- Knuckles_

It almost felt strange hearing from them all, especially all at once. It hurt to know that it took a once-off like a birthday for there to be this much communication for the first time in more than six months. She couldn't bring herself to reply to any of them, as much as she wanted to. She just didn't know what to say at this point, and it broke her heart.

By the end of the day, she would check her phone over and over, even when it was silent. He still hadn't contacted her. Not even a message. She eventually wondered why she was even waiting for it, she hadn't heard from him in so long, so why would today be any different? Deciding to give up on it, she turned off her phone and stowed it in the bottom of her bag as her and some friends left class and headed out for her birthday celebrations.

She had to stay focused on not spacing out the way she had been all day… every day, in retrospect – but even still, she really was enjoying her time out. Her friends had taken her to fancy bar where there was great food, great drinks, and plenty of room to dance. They all cheered and laughed all evening and into the night until they were sore, which she definitely needed.

'How has your day been?' Jade, a bubbly purple hedgehog asked as they sat together in a booth.

'Not too shabby.' Amy nodded through a genuine smile as they clinked glasses and drank.

'How about every other day?' Jade cocked a brow after a short silence.

'Hm?' Amy looked at her strangely as she took another drink.

'Look,' she sighed, 'I don't want to bring you down or anything, especially not today. It's just that, you've seemed so down lately. It seems to just be getting worse and worse. I just want to check in, make sure you're ok.'

Amy gave her a small smile. She had grown quite close to Jade, and liked her a lot. While she trusted she could confide in her, she just didn't know how to express what she was going through. The two hedgehogs had become friends since drifting from the gang, and she wasn't sure she wanted to bring everything and everyone up to explain it all. Especially Sonic.

She couldn't even say his name out loud these days. She feared that just the whisper of his name would send her on a complete downward spiral. She knew she should get it off her chest, confide in someone or something about the nightmares of him that consume her, that lead to sleepless nights. How she deals with her emotions by either breaking down in tears or forcing sleep in an attempt to make it all go away, only for the nightmares to return. How angry she is at him for up and leaving her, even more so knowing things were finally going their way.

But above all, how she would give anything to see him again. To scream at him, to throw things at him, to make him feel guilty. But to hold him, to hear his voice, to see that smile. Just looking at Jade in the royal blue dress she was wearing made her want to break down and cry at the thought of never feeling his quills ever again. If she could just know that he was ok, it would be a start.

But, for now…

'That's really sweet of you, but I'm fine.' Amy smiled, 'Just, intense classes, I guess.'

'Yeah, I guess.' Jade nodded, knowing there was something being hidden, 'but, you know you can talk to me, right?'

'Right.'


	3. Part 1c

It was a Sunday night, and Amy found herself curled up in a thick blanket on the couch, staring blankly at the coffee table. The sound of the TV filled the room, but she only seemed to hear white noise. She held her stomach as if it would help dull the pain, but nothing seemed to help. She'd been in the same clothes all day – in fact, she couldn't remember when she last found the energy to anything rather than transport herself between her bed and the couch.

She had spent months gradually binging her emotions, with more and more intensity as time went by. There would be short period where she could pull herself together and get on with her life: going to classes and doing well, spending time with friends after class, exercising and eating well. These brief and fleeting moments would only be followed by large blocks of time where everything spiralled.

She shut herself from the outside world, not leaving the house, sometimes not even her room. She could go a day or two without even touching food, a week or two without going to class. She would just curl herself up into a cocoon of pillows and blankets and remind herself of the last time she had seen her former blue hero – more than a year ago. She could barely believe it.

It seemed like yesterday she was standing face to face with him, and yet the ache in her chest felt like it had dragged on for an eternity. She had short periods of time where she fell somewhere in between the two series of emotions. Where she still concealed herself from another living being, but went outside to hide herself in certain locations, which continued to make her feel so pathetic.

She would sometimes go down by the lake that was home to chao colonies close by, where she and the gang used to spend their down time together. Taking picnics, throwing each other in the water, laughing, talking. It made her think particularly of Cream – she must have changed so much. It reminded her how everyone had just stopped trying and making the effort for one another, including her. She never did reply to any of those birthday messages from months ago – she hated herself for it.

She still didn't know exactly what stopped her, bar the fact she'd had to replace her phone twice in the last few months because of the times she had spiralled so out of control that she drowned her phone in an attempt to shut out the rest of the world. She figured their relationships were just too far gone, and that desperately trying to spark them back up could land her feeling embarrassed and worse than before if they shut her out. Not only that, it would just be another constant reminder that _he_ wasn't there.

Still lying huddled up on the couch, she reached over and turned the TV down. Letting out a deep sigh, she realised she hadn't eaten so much as a piece of fruit in more than two days. She forced herself off the couch and walked towards the kitchen, thinking maybe something to eat would help the sick feeling in her stomach. There wasn't much for her to choose from – she couldn't remember the last time she went out and bought food.

She cut herself up a few pieces of fruit and tossed them around in a bowl, using her fork to play with her food before she finally made herself start eating. Sitting back down on the couch and tuning into what was playing on TV, she felt this wave of binged emotion starting to pass her by, feeling like she might even go into the city tomorrow to catch up on all the work she had probably missed – maybe even catch up with Jade and the others so they knew she was alive.

She felt bad for not communicating with them enough, they messaged her constantly to make sure she was ok, sometimes even made trips to see her but she would just insist she was unwell. After making herself finish the entire bowl of fruit, and actually feeling a little better, she sent Jade a message to let her know she would be coming in tomorrow and that they should do lunch. The green hedgehog replied excitedly and Amy could feel herself feeling a little better.

Smiling a little, she got herself up and cleaned the sty her house had turned into over the past few days from top to bottom before taking a long hot shower and getting herself to bed for a good long sleep. She felt herself buzzing a little, genuinely looking forward to the next day to start over again. As she lay in bed, looking at the ceiling, she willed herself to hold onto this feeling. She wasn't going to let herself spiral again.

Even just waking up before midday maybe the fuchsia bundle feel better about herself. Waking up to shower and eat a decent breakfast, opening windows to let in the fresh air, turning on some music to fill her house with sound, made her feel a little more like her old self again. She continuously felt her brain drag her down a little with thoughts of the blue blur or anyone in the gang, but she wasn't going to let it hold her down today.

She made her way into the city, strolling down the dirt path and breathing in the fresh air as she did. She met up with Jade and a few others before class, who gave her any important work she had missed for her to catch up on later. Seeing their beaming faces filled her heart with that bit more positive energy that she needed to get her through the day – and hopefully every day from there on.

After class, her and Jade made their way to a little café in the city, sill close to their university. Amy took a deep breath as they sat down, deciding she would final open up and let her friend in on what she was going through. They ordered their lunch and waited for the waitress to leave before the pink hedgehog began to talk about everything that had been happening since Eggman's death.

She described the gang down to their last details before going into the events of the past year, and – like a true friend – Jade sat back and listened intently, asking questions here and there to fill in some blanks. Talking about it all felt like climbing a rope full of razor blades to get out of a ditch. It hurt like hell to surface everything, especially Sonic, but when she was finally finished, she felt free of the ditch. Like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

'I can't imagine how it must have felt to keep that bottled up for so long.' Jade sympathised, taking Amy's hand in her own across the table.

'I should have said something sooner, I know.' Amy shrugged.

'You can't help it if you're not ready to talk, but I'm glad you felt you come to me, now that you are ready to get it off your chest.' Jade smiled, Amy returning it before they went back to eating a little.

'You know,' Jade began again, 'if you still feel like you want to reconnect with them all, maybe just start with one? Then you can work your way up from there?'

'I guess so. I want to, but I just haven't worked out how. I will, though.'

'How about Sonic?'

'What about him?' Amy looked up at her.

'Do you think you'll work your way up to him?' jade questioned cautiously.

'I really don't know.' Amy admitted sadly.

.

It was late in the afternoon by the time Amy was wandering up the dirt path towards her home after spending her afternoon in the university library getting a start on getting caught up on everything she had missed over the past few weeks. She recapped her day and even praised herself a little on making a good start to getting her life back together today. She even thought maybe chatting to a doctor would help her keep it that way longer than a few days. The thought of returning to her old self excited her.

She unlocked her front door and made her way through, dumping her back full of notes and textbooks on her lounge before headed to the kitchen to make dinner. She spent the evening cooking and letting the sound of music gently fill the rooms in her house, the smell of her cooking filling her nose. Despite having not made a meal for herself in sometime, she hadn't lost her touch.

Almost ready to serve up her food, there was a loud few knocks on her door. She looked towards her front door curiously before looking up at her clock. It was getting close to eight o'clock, who could possibly be showing up at this time? It was probably Jade with another textbook she had forgotten. She went over to the stereo and turned it off before calling out to the visitor that she was coming.

Thinking it was probably Jade, she picked up the glass of wine she was drinking and made her way to the door, planning to invite her in for a drink. There was another knock on the door and Amy called out again that she was getting there. She picked up her pace a little into a jog, reaching for the latch on her door to unlock it and twist the knob on the door to open it wide.

'I've got wine, so come on-'

She cut herself off as she felt every fibre of her body go numb. Her fingers tensed then relaxed, causing her glass of wine to fall and shatter into pieces around her feet, covering her floor in wine. She swore she stopped breathing, like she'd forgotten how. She must have been asleep. Either that, or she had truly lost her mind and was seeing things. But that fur was unmistakable. That scent, those eyes. They had to be real.

'Hey, Ames.'


	4. Part 1d

She just stared at him, a completely stunned expression on her face. She waited for her vision to go blurry and dark before finding herself staring up at her bedroom ceiling, waking up from what could only be described as a cruel dream. But her vision was so clear, she wasn't waking up. He stared back at her with a guilty smile plastered across his muzzle.

She felt her bottom lip start to quiver as if she was going to cry, but no tears seemed to form. She felt this incredible surge of fiery anger build up inside her, desperate to burst forth but she couldn't seem to let it escape. She just stood there, hand still holding the door knob firmly, her chest heaving in shallow breaths. Her mouth gaped as if she was trying to say something, anything, but no sound rose from her throat.

'I know this is probably a bit of a shock.' Sonic muttered as he took a step closer to her, carefully avoiding the shattered glass.

It's as if the word itself brought her back to what was happening, shocking her back to reality. It happened before she knew what she was doing, before she could stop herself. One second she was staring blankly at him, the next her hand was stinging and he was wincing, the side of his face turned to her as he rubbed his throbbing muzzle. He said nothing, an eerie silence settling over them again, tears finally threatening to fall from her jade orbs.

'A bit of a _shock_?' Amy breathed out shakily.

'I deserve that. I know it's been a while, and I know I should have made contact with you-'

'You were dead for all I knew.' She cut him off with the same venom that struck his face.

'I contacted Tails often enough for him to know I was safe?' He told her as if it was sufficient.

'I couldn't have known that, I haven't spoken to Tails in months! Or any of them for that matter...' She admitted to him, the reality setting back in as she momentarily forgot the burning rage.

'What are you talking about?' He cocked a brow, still rubbing his cheek.

'Since Eggman died, since you left, everyone just drifted. Moved on with their lives and left the rest of us behind.'

He stared at her strangely, clearly confused. She felt that familiar feeling creeping back in, that binge emotion that only that morning she swore she wouldn't let herself return to. It was consuming her so rapidly she feared she might crumple into the ground right there in front of him. She wanted more answers, she needed them. There were so many questions but she didn't know where to start – with asking questions or continue to scream at him.

'I'm not saying I'm innocent, I gave up trying to stop the drift. But this past year has been so unbearable, you have no idea.' She breathed out as she wandered aimlessly towards her kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine as he watched, forgetting the shattered glass in her doorway.

'I don't know what to say.' Sonic sighed.

'Then why are you here?' She spat as she looked him dead in the eye, 'Why did you come back after all this time? Why here? Why now?'

'I-I don't-'

'I spent weeks and weeks so depressed that I didn't leave this god forsaken house. Thinking you could be in trouble, or worse. Wondering why you left and why you never made contact. Wondering why you up and left when things were finally getting… good, making sense… between us.' Her voice broke a little, but she refused to cry in front of him as she began to drink and let her words sink in.

'I've spent so long feeling so alone. I missed my friends, I still do. But you? I've never felt pain like the ache in my chest every second of every damn day you were gone. I've hated you for leaving, and battled that with the intolerable urge to just see you. I'm so mad at you.'

'And you have every right to be,' he cut in while he had the chance, 'and I'm so sorry I put you through that.'

'It's going to take a long time for me to forgive you. If at all.' Amy shook her head as she finished her glass and poured another.

She began to drink again, seemingly effortless. Sonic watched her and wondered if this is what she'd been doing since he'd left. He leaned against the doorway as she leaned against the bench, the pair of them both out of things to say in that moment but so much to say without knowing where to start. The fuchsia hedgehog allowed a tear or two to fall when she was turned away from him.

'So, where did you go? Last I heard you were 'travelling'.' She asked, her voice dead.

'Everywhere, I guess. I just kept running and stopping every time I found somewhere new.' He answered, remaining cautious.

'Run out of new places then? That's why you're back?' Her vicious sarcasm stinging him.

'No.'

'Then tell me, Sonic,' Amy began with a dramatically sarcastic grin as she made her way to the living room couch, 'tell me what's been going through that delicate little head of yours all this time.'

'When I left, I didn't intend on being gone this long,' he began as he sat on the coffee table across from her, 'maybe just a few days or so but with Eggman gone… I'm embarrassed to admit it really shook me. I just kept running and running, like it was some way of dealing with it and…well, then I'd think of you and… that night a few days before everything went sideways.'

'You think I haven't thought about that night?' Amy cut in, the memory brewing fresh tears, 'that's been all I can think about. Wondering why you followed me upstairs and away from everyone else in the garage. Wondering how we could talk and laugh so easily. But above all, wondering why for a brief and fleeting second you kissed me just to run away and leave everything behind.'

'I wanted you to know how I felt- feel!- about you, Amy! I got scared, I admit it! I didn't know what I wanted! I know I messed up and I'm sorry!' Sonic yelled as he stood up.

'No! You don't get to be the victim!' Amy stood up to meet him, that urge of rage fighting to burst forth, 'I've been a wreck. My whole life turned upside down and I hate that I let you do that to me! I hate that because of you, I aided in every good friend I have drifting away from me! And I hate that you think you can come back here and make everything ok again!'

'I never expected you to forgive me right away! I'm trying to make it up to you!' Sonic yelled desperately as he grabbed her arms and pulled her close to him.

'How in all of Mobius do you think you can make up for this?!' She screeched as she beat his chest and forced him away for her. 'How can you possibly make up for all the time you were gone?! For what you did to me!'

'Amy, please,' He begged as his legs collapsed, sitting him back on the coffee table with his head in his hands as she stood over him, 'I don't know what to do, but I swear to Chaos I'll spend every day trying to make it up to you. And the others. It's hurt me being away from all of you, and I know that's my fault. I still feel the same way about you that I did before I left, if not more.'

'And what makes you think I still feel the same?' She spat out and almost immediately regret it, knowing she was still well and truly in love with this idiot.

'I don't expect you to feel anything for me other than hatred,' he said quietly before holding her hips and resting his forehead on her stomach, 'but, I'm begging you, _please_ … Just give me a chance to make it up to you. I know now that I need you.'

A stunned silence filled the room as he continued to rest his forehead on her stomach, the fuchsia hedgehog staring at his long royal blue quills. In all the time she had known Sonic, she'd never seen him so vulnerable – which she figured was a pretty good indicator on how sincere he was. She could swear for a second he might be crying, and she fought the urge to start running her fingers through his quills but she didn't want him to think that was a sign of forgiveness. How she had longed for this moment, though.

'Every damn day, Sonic.' She let out a strained breath, beginning to cry, and began to gently run a hand through his quills, 'Every day you need to show me that you really want to make up for what we lost. I need to be able to trust you again.'

'I swear to Chaos, Amy.' He said through a gentle sob as he got to his knees, still holding her.

The sound of him in tears ripped her heart open and caused fresh tears to sparkle in her eyes. She made him let go and knelt down to his level. He was clearly trying to hide his face, but she cupped his muzzle in her hands and wiped away a tear with her thumb. She still wasn't ready to forgive him, that would take time, but looking at him now, it was so hard to stay mad at him. She felt her lips curl up into the tiniest smile before kissing his nose and resting her forehead on his. He tried to pull himself together and let out a small laugh.

'Have you seen any of the others yet?' She asked him quietly.

'No, I came here first.' He smiled in return.

'Well then, I think it's time to get everyone back together…'


	5. Part 2a

'We could go tomorrow?' Sonic suggested, only realising how risky it was after he said it.

They were silent, their foreheads still resting gently on each other's. She could feel her stomach tightening in almost painful knots, wanting to close the gap between them but not wanting him to think she would forget everything so easily. She wondered what he was thinking. He stayed perfectly still, she thought maybe he was letting her decide.

Before she could even think it through, she closed the gap, her body having taken over. It felt as though no time had passed, like he hadn't left, like all was good in the world again. The fuschia hedgehog had waited so long for this moment, that for a while, she didn't care what happened next. It just didn't matter.

She cupped his face, wiping away a fresh tear that trickled down his face, as he held her back tight. They were on the floor leaning against the couch, completely wrapped in each other, like the rest of the world didn't exist. There was something about him being so vulnerable that made her want him even more, like he was finally and completely opening up to her.

He stopped thinking about what they were doing, what had happened, what might happen next and everything in between. The cobalt hero got to his knees, scooped her up into his arms and continued to stand before making their way to her room. He knew he was risking her getting mad at him, but he couldn't help it. He was so in love with her that he had to be with her, to show her that he cared. She didn't stop him.

* * *

 _'You better bring down some more chips, too, Amy! Since Knuckles stole the entirety of the first lot.' Blaze yelled out as Amy made her way upstairs and into the kitchen, rolling her eyes in the red echidna's direction._

 _'I'm a growing man, Blaze. What more do you want for me?' He smirked at her as he continued to stuff his face._

 _'Yeah, yeah, I'm on it.' The bubble gum heroine giggled._

 _'I'll help her out.' A familiar voice said, sounding a little closer than the others._

 _Amy looked over her shoulder to see Sonic had followed her up the stairs, offering his help. She smiled at him, causing them both to chuckle at their friends that were lounging down stairs in the garage. He started to help her pull bits and pieces of food out of the kitchen to take down, surprising her a little - in all the time she'd known him, she couldn't remember him ever being in the kitchen. Unless he was the one eating, of course._

 _'What a day.' Sonic sighed as he poured a bag of chips into a bowl._

 _'Tell me about it. I've gotta give it to him, Eggman actually made me break a sweat today.' Amy smirked as she began throwing some sandwiches together._

 _'He's really been pulling out all the stops lately, kind of surprising in his old age. What's taken him so long?'_

 _'Who knows. Better slow down before he blows himself up!'_

Amy thought about how she almost hated herself for saying that, like she'd jinxed it. Not that she cared for Eggman or anything, but she never wished him dead. Despite the fact he had tried to end them time and time again. She sat on the edge of her bed, sheets wrapped around her bare body. Sonic was finally sleeping soundly next to her, but she couldn't fall into a slumber. She couldn't stop thinking about that night...

 _Sonic laughed at this, spilling some chips into the counter. His laugh made her crazy, he_ _was so intoxicating, she just couldn't take her eyes off him. He noticed and turned to look at her, causing her to quickly look away, embarrassed. His laughter died off into a shy smile, letting a comfortable silence fall over the pair._

 _Amy couldn't stop smiling as she walked to a cupboard nearer to him and reached up for something. She was a little too short and accidentally knocked over cans that came hurtling down towards her. She managed to catch a few, but missed one that hit the counter and sprayed some sort of tomato paste all over her face and chest._

 _She let out a startled yelp, causing Sonic to jump and turn towards her, his instinct telling him to help. It was too late, of course. She slowly turned around to face him, a little annoyed and disgusted, awaiting the inevitable fit of laughter from her sapphire companion. He nearly passed out from the laughter as he watched her use her gloved hands to wipe tomato out of her eyes._

 _'Veeeery funny.' She smirked sarcastically at him as she tried to de-tomato her quills._

 _Sonic was walking towards her, wanting to help, but couldn't stop laughing - he couldn't even speak! Amy rolled her eyes as she watched him get closer, knowing she was about to shut him up. She let him get a little closer, let him attempt to get out the 'are you ok?'s, before throwing the excess paste on her gloves into his face. It certainly shut him up._

 _'Oh, it's on!' Sonic declared._

 _With that, the pair began to throw whatever food they could find at each other. They were competitive, but couldn't help but laugh at the fun try were having. Even if the slightest of mess made Amy's brain want to explode, she didn't even seem to notice. Sonic ran towards her, aiming for the paste, which caused her to back into the counter. He grabbed what he could and smeared it all over her while she was trapped between him and the counter._

 _'What are you two doing up there?!' Shadow bellowed._

 _'Nothing!' The pair replied in sync, causing them to calm down a little._

 _'We should probably get down there.' Amy smiled after a few seconds, but didn't move._

 _'Right, sure. You're probably right.' Sonic agreed, but didn't budge either._

 _They were face to face, flicking back and forth between looking each other in the eye. His grip on her, from smearing her with tomato paste, had loosened a little, but he still held her. She felt dizzy, she wasn't sure why but it might of had something to do with the fact that she had stopped breathing. This was taking her completely by surprise, which was saying something for someone who had imagined this moment every possible way as a teenager._

 _Before she could run away with her thoughts any further, he'd done it. He'd closed the gap, and it was freaking magical. He laced his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer, begging her to do the same as he lifted her slightly off the ground. It lasted what was_ _somehow an eternity and a milisecond, thanks to someone shouting from downstairs that they were hungry. They quickly broke apart._

 _'I guess I-uh, better get whatever is left here down to the garage.' Sonic chuckled awkwardly as he grabbed the now half bowl of chips made his way for the stairs._

 _'Right, yep, sure.' Amy nodded, trying to keep cool._

 _She watched him disappear behind the door before silently jumping up and down, forgetting momentarily she was a woman in her early twenties and was briefly her twelve year old self again.._

The pink hedgehog still sat on the edge of her bed, arms wrapped around her chest to keep the sheets in place. She was still, numb. She didn't think she'd feel this way. Not that she was feeling bad or anything, she had waited for this moment for more than a year now and it was... incredible. But now that her judgement wasn't so clouded, she was scared. Would Sonic spook again? Maybe that's why she couldn't sleep. She was scared that she'd wake up and he'd be gone. Had she made a terrible mistake?

She suddenly wondered if Sonic was really asleep.

* * *

Amy pinched her eyes tight as she felt a bright light begin to assault her eyes. The sun was streaming through her bedroom window, causing her to slowly flutter her eyes open as they adjusted. She absent-mindedly reached her arm out only for it to land on the matress with a thump - which is when it hit her. He was gone. Any rationality Amy Rose had was completely out the window. She immediately felt sick and her breath laboured. Her exact fear was a reality.

She got out of bed, pulling the sheet with her and wrapped it around herself, tears starting to form in her eyes. She thought she might vomit. She looked around her room for nothing, seeing only yesterday's clothes balled up on the floor. She really thought she was going to vomit. She turned and reached for the door handle, opening it shakily, only to scream when she opened it fully.

'Whats wrong?!' Sonic yelled, almost dropping the big bowl he was holding.

'Y-You're here?' Amy stuttered out. Sonic looked completely taken aback.

'Amy, of course I'm here? Where did you think I was?'

'I.. I don't..'

Sonic knew what she was thinking, and at first he was hurt. He wanted to say something but stoped himself. He shouldn't be surprised she jumped to that conclusion, of course she was paranoid. He'd hurt her. It still upset him, but he could tell she was embarrassed, watching her stare at her feet, holding the bed sheet in place around her. He smiled a little and guided her back to bed.

'I was just getting us something to eat.' He tried to sooth as he wrapped blankets around them both and showed her the bowl of fruit.

'That looks great.' She smiled as he wrapped her arms around her, trying to pretend her paranoia hadn't just exploded out of her.

'I don't blame you for feeling the way you do.' Sonic began as he fed her a piece of fruit, 'but, I promise that it's not going to happen again. I'll prove it to you.'

'I know.' Amy nodded.

'So, you think you're ready to see the gang today?' he asked after a comfortable silence.

'I don't know, to be honest. I just figure if I go and get the first step done, then the worst is over.'

'Right.' He nodded firmly as he fed her more fruit.

'By the way,' he turned to her with a smile and nodded towards her clothes on the floor, 'love the new look.'


	6. Part 2b

Amy looked over her shoulder as she left her room, headed for the bathroom. She couldn't help but pause and watch Sonic for a second. He picked up his shoes from the night before, the bowl from breakfast and straightened the sheets a little. A split second thought crossed her mind that this might be an alien - which made her giggle as she walked away. Realising how much of an effort he was making for her gave her butterflies.

The butterflies still fluttered wildly around her stomach now that she was alone and could really think about the events of last night. She got into the shower and let the hot water run over her fur, her hands gently tracing her body as she thought about where Sonic had been the night before. She was really starting to believe he wasn't going to leave, this could actually start again and work this time. She was so happy she laughed to herself a little.

Like she needed to be taken back a peg, her brain suddenly took her out of her euphoric state and reminded her of what lay ahead today. The butterflies exploded, one by one. The fuchsia hedgehog felt a sick weight in her stomach as she finished showering and stepped out. She felt so anxious she thought she might stop breathing, or vomit. She wanted nothing more than for things to just go back to normal with their friends, but had it been too long? Were they too far gone?

Wrapped in fresh towels, she looked at herself in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. She wondered what she'd say, what she'd do, how she could possibly fix this? Amy suddenly wondered if Sonic had a plan, anyone in particular they were going to see. Oh, God, what if it would be all of them at once? She wasn't sure she could handle that. She spit out the toothpaste and washed up, needing extra space to breathe.

'Oh my, God. I don't know if I can do this. I-'

'Ames?' Amy gasped as Sonic knocked at the door.

'Y-Yeah, come in.' She choked out as she pulled herself together.

'So... I was thinking about who we should go and see today.'

'Oh?'

'How about we just start with one? Maybe head over to the garage and see Tails?'

'Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.' She smiled at him, knowing he would be there easing her fears.

* * *

The blue blur obviously could have gotten them to the garage in a flash, but Amy asked if they could walk. Partly because she needed a little extra time to work up some nerve, but also wanted to test if Sonic actually would. She always knew him to be so impatient, had to get to everywhere and do everything in a split second. He surprised her though, he was willing to walk along side her all the way there, which was so nice.

It gave them the first chance to properly catch up, talk about where Sonic had been all this time. Where he went, what he saw, everything about it. Despite how she had been hating him for leaving, she couldn't deny she was a little jealous of his travels, it sounded incredible. It suddenly made sense to her why he'd been gone so long, too. Sonic could've seen the entire planet in a flash, but he explained how he actually wanted to see what it was like to slow down and 'smell the flowers', so to speak.

She was almost embarrassed when she was honest about what life had been like for her since he'd left. It was a little uncomfortable, but she figured it was better to be honest now and by the end, it actually felt better talking to him about it. She tried her best to not let on how much Sonic's departure had really had on her mental health, but she knew he had caught on. A few days ago, she would have wanted to drown him in guilt, but it wasn't worth it now. He sounded genuinely excited when she told him about her studies and how passionate she was about it, the way she'd always been. Before they knew it, they could see the garage down the path.

All of her anxieties suddenly came flooding back. She mentally scolded herself for letting her fears take hold - robots and creatures of all sorts that had had her an inch from death time and time again but they couldn't inflict fear of any kind that was even remotely close to this. Sonic noticed before he took her hand and they stepped forward together. Amy couldn't tell, but even the Blue Blur himself was nervous about seeing his friends again. He'd seen how much he'd hurt Amy, which made him wonder if any of the others felt the same. He refused to let on.

As they got close to the open garage door, about to hear metal clinking on metal, the two hedgehogs sub-consciously unlocked their hands as Sonic stepped forward to get a better look inside. To no surprise, the two-tailed kitsune was seated on the ground with his back to them, sparks flying around him as he tinkered away on a machine five times his size. Sonic and Amy exchanged a small smile before Amy, a little less tense than before, pounded on the wall in an attempt to get his attention. He jumped at the sounded before whirling around as he took off his goggles.

'Sonic! Amy!' He exclaimed as he shot to his feet and rushed over to greet them.

To the two hedgehogs shock, the twin-tailed hero had shot up in the last year or so - he was almost taller than Sonic! Sonic's minor apprehension almost instantly melted away as Tails embraced him tight, obviously ecstatic with the return of his best friend. Without a moment's hesitation, after he let go of Sonic, he embraced Amy just as tight, lifting her off the ground a little to spin her around. The butterflies in her stomach returned with a mix of excitement and nerves. Amy blurred a little as Tails began to speak - she was feeling a little embarrassed. All this fear and anxiety for so long for nothing? She could scarcely believe it.

'Oh, I almost forgot! Cream! You still up there?' Tails voice called out when Amy came back into focus.

 _'Coming!' A familiar voice called back._ Amy's heart sank.

Cream came down the stairs that lead up to the house briskly, stopping in her tracks when she saw the room. Cream was a few years younger than Amy, Tails closer to her age than the young rabbit, but they had always been the best of friends. Amy hadn't spoken to her in so, so long - and the effect it had was evident on Cream's face. It lasted only a second before she smiled thoughtfully and came over to greet them, embracing Sonic tight and politely squeezing Amy before stepping back next to Tails. It took a minute for the two hedgehogs, even Amy, to register exactly what Cream was doing here with Tails...

'Cream and I have been.. seeing a lot more of each other lately.' Tails smiled through a blush as Cream took his hand.

'You guys hungry?' Cream asked, trying to save the blushing fox.

.

Sonic and Tails started to talk like old times, seamlessly, like they had been together only yesterday. After Tails packed away some of his gear, he and Sonic led the girls up into the house. Amy could see Sonic visibly relax, she could only imagine how it felt for him to be back in his own home. Amy, and seemingly Cream, just listened to Sonic and Tails catch up to begin with, all making themselves comfortable in the living room. Sonic began to fill Tails in on his travels since the last time he'd seen him, telling him all about the secluded rain-forests and vast deserts he'd been telling Amy about just that morning, telling them about the people he'd met and things he'd experienced. The three of them listened intently before Tails began to telling the hedgehogs of a new job he'd started.

'They were looking for someone with my kind of skills to invent different machinery and gadgets of sorts, ones they can weaponize in a potential crisis. They've also got me on repairs and enhancements of existing creations, it's all been very interesting.'

'Dude, that's incredible, good for you!' Sonic exclaimed excitedly.

'It's only fresh, I'm not sure what they make of me yet.' Tails shrugged off his huge achievement.

'You're too humble, Tails,' Cream smiled at him,' being hired to work for G.U.N is a big deal.'

'G.U.N? That's where you're working?' Amy asked, having not registered it when he first started explaining.

'That's right.' Tails smiled.

'So, you must work with Rouge and Shadow a fair bit now then?'

'Not directly, but I see them pretty often. I mean, they're basically running the show now.'

'What, really?' Sonic cocked his brow at his friend.

'They're kind of co-seconds-in-command. Having said that, from what Tails has told me, they are more or less in charge.' Cream explained.

Amy nodded with a smile, trying to show she was happy for them. However, all she could think about was how far she was seemingly removed from the group now. She thought maybe everyone had kind of split off, but Tails and Cream dating? Tails, Shadow and Rouge all working together? She wondered who else might be more apart of their everyday lives, lives she was missing out on. She felt her anxiety make her space out from the conversation briefly, until she thought she caught Cream watching her out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look, the pretty rabbit was watching Tails with a smile.

'Ok, I'm going to make something to eat.' Cream informed them as she stood and headed for the kitchen.

'Oh, let me help!' Amy insisted a little too enthusiastically, earning a nod from Cream.

The walked over to the kitchen and began to make sandwiches in silence. Amy knew she should be the first one to speak, Cream had asked to see her multiple times since the bubble-gum hedgehog's last birthday, but she never responded. She had no idea where to start, all the fears she'd had that morning, the ones Tails had alleviated briefly, came rushing back so fast she had whiplash. Letting her thought run away with her, she stopped paying attention to what she was doing until she bumped Cream and spilled food to the floor. Amy exclaimed embarrassingly as the two tried to clean it up.

'Cream, I'm so sorry.' Amy said for the third time, the boys having not heard the commotion.

'Really, Amy, it's ok.'

'No,' Amy found herself grabbing the bunny's wrist before she could stop herself, making Cream look at her, 'for everything.'

Her young friend watched her for a second, a sad expression on her face. She sighed deeply as she looked down and finished picking up the mess, making them both stand. She threw the scraps into the bin and leaned against the bench, Amy across from her feeling her entire body tense. Cream could feel her head exploding, wanting everything to be good and normal again, to have her friend back. But she'd been hurt, and she knew she couldn't let herself be walked over and forgive so easily. Watching Amy's face, though, she thought she could physically feel her heart break.

'You really hurt me, Amy. Tails too,' she added as she nodded in his direction, 'it's going to take more than 'sorry', you know?'

'I know. You deserve an explanation, but I don't know if anything is really good enough.'

'Try me.'


	7. Part 2c

**To the two people still reading this story (lol) - hello! Sorry it's taking me time to update, I'm trying not to force anything out and just enjoy the process! I hope you guys haven't given up on me, I really do want there to be more to this story - I have a plan! Enjoy the latest chapter. xx**

* * *

Before going back to sit and eat with the boys, Amy and Cream slowly put everything together so they had time to hash it out alone. Like that morning with Sonic, Amy figured it best to be honest about where she had been with herself and everything that had been going on, including what happened between her and Sonic before he left, and the effect it had had on her since. When explaining it to Sonic it was so different - he was the one asking for forgiveness. Now being on the other side, she didn't feel like it was a worthy explanation, but Cream seemed to deem it otherwise. Amy felt lucky that Cream heard her out, and allowed to be honest, but it did make her wonder. If any of the others felt the way Cream had, and she was sure they would, would she be as lucky?

'Amy, I can't believe you didn't come to me. I mean, I get it if you weren't ready to talk or wanted to be alone sometimes, but... I wish I could have been there to help. I hate that you were having a rough time alone.'

'I wanted to call you and the others so many times, but the longer I left it, the more scared I got... I let it get way out of hand.' Amy strained her voice to stop it from breaking, but Cream could still see through her.

'I think sometimes it can be hard for someone to stay on top of those kinds of feelings. You shouldn't blame yourself, Amy. None of us are innocent in all this.' Cream's voice softened, but Amy shrugged it off.

Cream watched the pink hedgehog stare at her feet, she couldn't stand to see her like this. A trait she had always had. All this pain and distance just wasn't worth dwelling over anymore, she knew Amy would work hard at being a better friend. She meant it when she said no one had been innocent, she had to work hard at being the best friend she could be, too. She smiled a little before she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Amy, wanting her friend to know that things really would be ok. The older of the two was a little shocked at first but sunk into it, squeezing her friend properly as she let few tears fall on her friend's shoulder. She suddenly realised how grown up Cream was all of a sudden, so mature, and suddenly as tall as her.

'So... how was it seeing Sonic again?' Cream cocked a brow at Amy, wanting to really catch up now - Amy chuckled nervously.

'It was, interesting...' Amy shrugged before launching into the story of the past 24 hours.

.

Sonic and Tails had moved out to the balcony, soaking up the sun. They continued to exchange stories, talking and laughing like no time had passed. They had kept in contact every few months or so, even though it had really just been Sonic letting tails know he was safe, but it was more than they could say for other members of the gang. Sonic admitted to having no contact with anyone bar Tails, and the kitsune responded by telling Sonic it had been much the same between everyone here. Bar him and Cream and working with Rouge and Shadow - though work didn't leave a lot of time for a friendship.

'It's been different, that's for sure. I admit work hasn't left me with a ton of time, I know Rouge and Shadow are the same. Cream took the drift pretty hard at first...'

'Yeah?' Sonic gave a guilty sort of look.

'She's ok now, although, I hope her and Amy can sort things out. That was probably the worst part.' Tails shrugged, 'Don't get me wrong, though - no one has been innocent in all this.' Sonic gave an understanding nod.

'Look, without getting all gross,' Tails began timidly, 'we've missed you, man. I've missed you. I hope you'll hang around this time.'

'I've missed you, too, pal.' Sonic bumped his fist, 'and I'm going anywhere this time.'

'Amy?' Tails smirked, making Sonic blush fiercely.

'How did she take it when you got back?'

'Well...' Sonic began before explaining the events of yesterday.

As the cobalt hero was finishing up his story, Cream and Amy walked out chatting as they brought the food. The boys exchanged a relieved smile, knowing the girls must have talked it out. They all sat around the balcony and began to eat, the conversation between the four of them so much more relaxed and comfortable now. As it went on, it felt more and more like no time had passed between them, the way it should be. Amy felt herself ease into it the longer they were there, feeling like the weight of the world had been taken off her shoulders a little. It propelled her to want to see the others and patch up what needed to be fixed, despite her fears about it.

'So, uh, what do you think the others are up to tomorrow?' Amy asked anxiously...

* * *

The following evening, Amy found herself in her bathroom taming her quills and swiping on a little make-up. She noticed in the mirror she was looking a little pale, her nerves rising rapidly as the seconds passed. As she focused on her eyes while she applied mascara, Sonic walked up to the door and rest himself against the frame, watching her intently.

'How're you feeling?' He asked.

'Like I'm going to be sick,' Amy smirked at herself, 'yesterday's momentary bravery is no where to be found.'

'I promise you everything will be fine,' he smiled reassuringly as he walked up behind her and laced his arms around her waist, 'the build up is going to be the worst of it.'

'How do you know that?' The fuchsia bundle looked at him sharply.

'I guess I don't.' He shrugged, looking at her in the mirror.

'I feel like I'm being such a child.'

'Feeling this way doesn't make you childish, Ames. All I know is that you are making an effort to make this right, and they'll see that.'

'I hope so.' She looked down at the basin, not convinced.

.

As the sun began to set, the two hedgehogs left Amy's house and made their way down the dirt paths to Sonic and Tails home. Again, they walked side-by-side the whole way, chatting and laughing - a brief distraction from the pressure Amy was feeling. When they got close enough to see the garage, hear the full beat of the music coming from inside, Amy's legs took control and stopped her in her tracks, causing Sonic to look back at her.

He watched as she took a deep breath, summoning all her courage, and nodded before they continued. He took her hand briefly in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She smiled at him a little as they reached the open garage doorway and walked through. Sonic was taken aback a little, but Amy felt like a fist the size of a tree had whacked her in the gut. _Everyone was already there._

They were all gathered around the couch and few seats Tails had in the garage, and for a time-freezing few seconds, they all stopped talking to look up and see the two hedgehogs walk in. Tails got up quickly to greet them, followed by Cream, which relieved a little tension, but Amy could see the rest of the gang still watching them out of the corner of her eye.

'You're here! Come take a seat, we're all just catching up.' Tails beamed as he and Cream ushered them towards the group.

Amy tried her best to be her regular, confident self, but she looked about as awkward as she felt. She smiled and gave a little wave to everyone before taking a seat by Cream and watch Knuckles get up to greet Sonic first. The fuchsia hedgehog couldn't help but envy the boys a little, they made it looks so easy...

'Its been so long I thought you were dead.' Knuckles joked as he slapped Sonic's hand to shake.

'We aren't that lucky.' Shadow smirked but gave a nod in the Blue Blur's direction as a greeting.

'Oh, come off it, Shadow. We're glad you're back in one piece!' Silver beamed as he embraced the blue hedgehog briefly.

And just like that, the boys were seemingly back to normal - so why couldn't she just pretend everything was fine? Oh, that's right. Because she had been here the entire time blocking calls and ignoring texts. She felt an uneasy shift in her stomach that suggested she might vomit, not that even that could make this worse.

'How about you, Amy? Where've you been all this time?' Rouge cocked a brow in her direction.

She made it sound friendly and as if she was genuinely interested, but Amy knew it was almost sarcastic - in fact, she figured surely everyone picked up on that. She hid it as best she could, but even the G U.N agent couldn't hide her feelings had been hurt. She was seemingly the only one brave enough to probe Amy like that yet.

'Oh, um, y-you know.. I've been around.' Amy stammered.

 _God, this couldn't be worse._

'Huh, that's strange. I thought you must have left, since you don't seem to have been returning any calls.' Tikal's sarcasm scarily out of character.

'Guys, come on...' Sonic attempted to step in.

'No, no, it's ok. I get it.' _Might as well get this over and done with._

'I know I haven't been the greatest friend lately,' Amy began, trying to hold onto all the courage she'd begun with, 'and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't return and messages, answer any calls, make the effort to see any of you. I've been wrapped with guilt for months.'

'Is that so?' Blaze questioned skeptically.

'Yes, that's so.' Amy answered, feeling a fire in her belly, her confidence fighting back, 'but to be fair, neither did Sonic? And somehow the guys behave like no time has passed.' _Oh shit, that was risky._

'Yeah, that's fair.' Shadow shrugged, 'I suppose none of us contacted him because we don't expect him to contact us while he's travelling - despite how long he was gone for.'

'And that fault is on both sides.' Tails chimed in after glancing at Cream, the pair wanting to keep things neutral.

'Agreed.' Sonic nodded, smiling a little in Amy's direction to let her know he wasn't mad.

'You're right, we shouldn't let Sonic off so easy for not being in contact. We shouldn't just 'expect' that of him,' Knuckles began, looking more vulnerable than anyone had ever seen the hothead, 'he did chime in from time to time to let us know he was alive. Tails told us so.'

'But you were here, Amy, the entire time,' Tikal stood and took a step closer to the fuchsia hedgehog, 'I can't speak for anyone else but, eventually I had to stop trying to contact you. For my own sake. I'd call and message just to see if you were ok but you'd never respond and it would upset me every time. Eventually, I had to self-preserve.'

'I get it, I do. But I-I...' Amy trailed off, scared she might start to cry.

'She's here now, trying to fix it.' Sonic finished, standing by her side.

'I'm not sure she can.' Blaze informed him bluntly.


	8. Part 2d

Amy could almost physically feel the sting of the lavender feline's words, even Sonic looked taken aback. She was past the crying stage, now she just felt numb. No one dared break the silence, they just either look at Amy or in their laps. The fuschia hedgehog stared at Blaze and nodded a little, chewing her lip.

'I see.' Amy said, barely above a whisper.

She looked around at the others, wondering if anyone would speak up in her defense. Apparently not. The silence was deafening and uncomfortable but the bubble gum heroine was so frozen that she couldn't bring herself to do anything, until she felt a gloved hand softly graze her back. She jolted a little at the touch before looking up into Sonic's eyes. Everyone bar Cream and Tails watched the small interaction with astonishment, knowing they had clearly missed something big.

'I think I'll just go.'

'Wait, Amy, please-'

'No, really,' Amy cut Tails off as she grabbed her bag, 'I need to leave.'

They all watched her speed walk out of the garage, the silence somehow getting louder. Sonic's breathing got a little laboured as he watched her leave, wanting to fix it for her but not knowing how. He couldn't help but think back to only hours ago when Amy had been so mad at him but found a way to forgive - but the rest of his friends couldn't do that for her. He felt a surge of anger rise in his stomach. A million thoughts flooded his mind on what to say to them, but he just couldn't form the right thing.

'You all suck.' He said firmly through a disappointed sigh before speeding off after Amy.

* * *

More than half an hour later, the gang were still all at Tails', scattered around the living room. Cream had made tea, but everyone mostly just held their mugs without taking a sip. Blaze was looking most anxious and pale, regretting how harsh she had been now that she had calmed down. Silver was seated next to her, watching her hardly blink, before placing a hand on her shoulder and caressing it with his thumb.

'I think we might have been a bit harsh.' Knuckles broke the silence.

'Oh, really? You think so?' Shadow cocked a brow in the red-head's direction.

'To be fair, we still had valid points,' Rouge chimed in, 'but, yes, we may have taken it a little far.'

'If you had given her the chance to really get into it, you might have been more understanding.' Cream shrugged as she sat down.

'What do you mean?' Blaze looked up at her quickly.

'Look,' Cream sighed, knowing it wasn't her place to divulge Amy's personal matters, 'I guess I'm not even sure she would have gone into it but she told me about what a hard time she's been having since... Eggman passing and then Sonic leaving and she momentarily couldn't deal.'

'Then the longer she waited to reach out, the more scary it got for her.' Tails finished, 'But it isn't mine or Cream's place to tell you guys what's been going on with her. All we know is she knows where she is in the wrong and she wants so badly to fix it. If she wants to talk about it fully, she will.'

'But we all need to just be a little more understanding and-'

'But she wasn't understanding when our feelings were hurt?' Blaze cut Cream off, the fire from earlier reigniting.

'She has a point. Amy continuously blew everyone off and never checked in to see how we were.' Silver admitted, trying to be fair.

'We could go back and forth about who is more in the wrong all day, it won't fix anything.' Shadow told them.

'Thats true, and if she really meant everything she's told you,' Rouge looked at Cream, 'then I'm sure that thought had crossed her mind.

Everyone fell silent again, Blaze seemed to return to feeling anxious about the way she'd left the conversation. They all looked exhausted and uneasy, wondering how to approach the situation.

'We need to fix-'

Knuckles cut off by an alarm sounding down in the garage, making everyone jump to attention as they all looked at each other confused. Tails leapt out of his seat and down the stairs, everyone else following suit. The kitsune's computers were flashing red as he ran up to them to scan whatever it was that was triggering them. He moved around the different screens, typing at lightning speed.

'Whats going on?' Cream yelled over the alarm as she and everyone else covered their ears.

'Oh no...' Tails said to himself.

.

Amy was wrapped in her softest pyjamas, curled up on the couch with her head in Sonic's lap. She stared blankly at the TV, and old sit-com playing lowly as the blue blur stroked her quills a little, watching her breathe shakily. When they got home, she tried to hold it together but eventually let her emotions take over before she began to cry and cry. She had mostly stopped now, only having a few silent tears left to fall.

Her internal battle made her physically nauseous. She knew she'd taken a big step today in seeing them, confronting them. She couldn't have done that this time last month, and she knew it was thanks to Sonic. At the end of the day, though, it changed nothing. If anything, she felt worse than before.

'They'll come around, you know.' Sonic told her softly.

'I don't think even you really believe that.' She replied through a croaky voice.

'I think...' Sonic sighed, 'I think it might take some time, and I definitely believe some of them were way harsh. They'll realise it, though. You did what you could.'

'It wasn't enough.' She said bluntly, 'I don't think it'll ever be enough.'

'Ames-'

'I'm so glad you're back, Sonic.' She cut him off as she sat up to face him, 'but I get that they're your friends too. You don't have to stay here, feel sorry for me.'

The sapphire speedster was a little shocked, staring blankly at her for a moment. He let out a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his quills, feeling a little drained. He can admit to himself that he wants to be with his friends, he missed them too - but at the end of the day, they went too far. Amy was the one that needed him. After all that's happened - or, not happened - he had to show her he'd be there.

'Amy. They're _our_ friends, and sure, I've missed them and want to get things back to normal. It won't happen until we work this out, though. And...' Sonic trailed off nervously.

'And?' Amy coaxed gently.

'You're my priority. I'm here for you, always. I'll tell you the times when you're in the wrong, but this time, you're not.'

Amy smiled weakly, a final year rolling half way down her cheek before he wiped it away with his thumb. He kissed her tenderly on the forehead before resting his own there, his thumb caressing her cheek. Sonic's ear suddenly twitched, distracting him from their tender moment, before they both began to frown a little. They pulled away and looked each other in the eye.

'Do you hear that?' Sonic asked, the faintest sound of a siren sounding in the distance.

'Oh good, I thought it was just me.' Amy exhaled before they both looked to the door.

They slowly got up from the couch and made their way out of Amy's front door. They stood out on the porch, looking in the distance to where they thought the sound was coming from. Everything else seemed so still, so tranquil. The noise didn't get any closer, nor any further away. They longer it sounded, the more the two hedgehogs felt their insides twist with anxiety.

'It sounds like it's coming from-'

'SONIC! AMY!' Sonic was cut of by Silver's shouts, the speedster making his way up the dirt road and skidding to a halt in front of him.

'Silver, what's-

'He's here, he knows.' Silver told them as calmly as he could, a little out of breath.

'What are you talking about?' The fuschia heroine asked urgently.

'Scourge.'


	9. Part 3a

**It's been a hot minute since an update! For anyone that might be reading this, thank you! Enjoy x x**

* * *

Hearing his name sent a chill down Amy's spine. She hadn't thought about Scourge or any of the Anti-Mobians for so long it was if she had repressed the memory of them. The faint sound of the garage's blaring sirens was still sounding in the distance, and now that they were outside, they could see the slightest tinge of red in the sky from the sirens lights.

'What do you mean he's here? What does he know?' Sonic questioned.

'We think he knows you're back, and that you have all the emeralds.' Silver explained, 'From what we can tell, he's brought a real fire power with him this time. Not just Fiona and the others but a small army!'

'How could he possibly get all those people here in one go?!' Amy questioned.

'Let's get back to the others and figure it out!' Silver hurried them along.

.

Tails was firing away on his computers, finally having shut off the alarms. The rest of the gang were hanging around the garage - pacing, sitting , looking over the kitsune's shoulder. Suddenly a silver streak flashed its way into the garage, closely followed by a blue streak with a tinge of pink. Silver stopped in his tracks before heading over to Tails, Sonic just behind with Amy in his arms before placing her on her feet.

'What's going on?' Sonic asked the group.

'A huge energy spike coming from the forest set off Tails' alarms.' Knuckles answered.

'I sent a drone over to capture footage of whatever it might be and it brought back Scourge. I think Fiona was by him.' Tails added.

'Does he really have a small army with him?' Amy asked.

'And why now?' Cream added, 'Why would he wait until Sonic was here to attack? Wouldn't he want him out of the way?'

'He probably thinks Sonic has had the emeralds all this time.' Blaze suggested.

'Plus, it probably took him this long to get himself and his followers here safely.' Shadow added.

'I think more of the drones pictures are coming through.' Rouge pointed at the screens from behind Tails.

Everyone gathered around to see what would show on the footage coming back, and if it was anything that could give them answers. The footage was dark but clear as day - definitely the familiar tinge of green and a slash across his chest that was unmistakably Scourge the Hedgehog. Accompanied by none other than the slinky vixen that was Fiona Fox, the pair side by side. There was another figure by them, but it was hard to make out. It almost looked like it was... floating?

'Infinite...' Sonic said to himself.

'Who?' Blaze and Tikal questioned in sync.

'This guy... thing... I had a run in with a few months ago.'

'What went down?' Silver asked.

'He's a mysterious dude,' Sonic shrugged, 'hell bent on power. Mentioned something about Eggman and finishing a job, which could have meant anything. Not much else I know about him except he can play some serious mind games, literally. The source of his power is good and proper attached to his chest. He said it's the-'

'Phantom Ruby!' Tails cut the blue blur off, zooming up on the ruby buried into the tufts of fur on Infinite's chest.

'A Ruby?' Rouge's eyes sparkled at the sound of the word.

'I mean, I thought it could've just been some myth. It's said to be so powerful, it could even rival the chaos emeralds.'

'Sure doesn't look like a myth to me.' Knuckles looked at the picture on screen, 'What exactly does it do?'

'It warps your sense of reality, makes you... see things.' Sonic shuddered a little, not unnoticed by Amy.

'If this thing is so powerful, its probably what got them all here in one go!' Cream thought aloud.

'You're probably right, Cream! Question is: how did this alliance come to be?' Silver wondered.

'And are the rest of the anti-mobians with them?' Tikal added.

'We need to find out more about why and how they're all here before we go charging in. We'll especially need to know more about this ruby and how to defeat it!' Blaze announced.

'She's right. I doubt they'll attack right away, but if it's alright with you Tails,' Knuckles nodded in the kitsune's direction, 'I think we should all get what we need and stay together here until we know what to do next.' Everyone nodded and agreeing.

.

It was getting close to early hours of the morning when some of the gang came back from their houses with a few personal belongings to keep there. Cream had gone to bed in hers and Tails' room while Amy waited in the doorway of Sonic's old room, watching the Blue Blur and Tails talk to each other before they separated, the kitsune headed back towards the garage.

'The other guys and Rouge are crashing in the living room, Blaze and Tikal are sharing the spare room.' Sonic answered Amy's question as he walked towards her before she even asked.

'And Tails?' She cocked a brow in the direction of the garage.

'He's going to send a few drones to watch over the Master Emerald and homes. We figure they're the places Infinite and the Anti-mobians will try first.'

The bubble-gum hedgehog nodded as he walked past her and into the room. She turned in the doorway to watch him sit on the bed, still leaning in the doorway. Now that she had a second to stop and think, she couldn't help but notice how things had kind of gone back to normal tonight. Not the most ideal situation, a serious threat lurking in the dark, but normalcy between the group nonetheless - especially after the awkward interaction only hours before.

Her thoughts suddenly wandered to her new friends - Jade and the others. Her classes, the university, her whole new life. It all seemed like a whole other world. She wondered where they were right now, if the were safe. A new and mysterious enemy made her nervous. Which reminded her...

'Sonic?' Amy asked as she closed the door and wandered over to the bed.

'Hm?'

'You said that when you ran into this... Infinite... before, that he could play mind games. What did you mean?'

'Nothing to worry about, Ames.' Sonic smiled a little after a seconds hesitation.

'Sonic...' Amy coaxed before he sighed and ran his fingers through his quills.

'From what I could tell, he had business with Eggman. After he died, it seemed as though Infinite had found me to try finish me off and take the emeralds I had. I almost sent him packing before everything went red and... glitching? The field we were in suddenly turned dark. And then...' Sonic's quills stood on end as he relived the day and trailed off.

'And then?'

'I saw you.'

'Wha- me?' Amy was taken aback.

'Whatever his power is, it takes over your memory and warps your reality. I saw you, he was torturing you. Then I saw the others, Tails, Rouge, everyone - I knew it wasn't real but... it felt SO real. I'll never get the images out of my head.'

'Why didn't you tell me about this before?'

'Because I didn't want to remember.' Sonic answered as he pulled her into him.

Amy held him, effectively ending the conversation. She had more questions about Infinite, she figured Sonic did too but this had rattled him. He didn't want the others to see it, though - that she knew for sure.


End file.
